


The Ship of Dreams

by Peter164



Series: Alternate Universe [11]
Category: Septiplier - Fandom, Titanic (1997), Video Blogging RPF, jacksepticeye, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: 1910s, Abusive Relationships, Alternate Universe - Titanic Fusion, Arranged Marriage, Artists, Boats and Ships, Cheating, Depression, Gambling, Lingerie, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Period-Typical Homophobia, Sex in a Car, Short & Sweet, Suicide Attempt, fem!Jack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2017-06-22
Packaged: 2018-07-29 07:05:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7674835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peter164/pseuds/Peter164
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack despised his life. Boring, repetitive, slow. He felt ignored. He was to stay prim and proper. He felt as if he was in an endless loop, same people, same parties, same, same, same. A mother who didn't love him, a fiancée he didn't love, everyone against him. Until a struggling artist stepped into his black and white life. </p><p>Mark loved being alive. He loved to feel the sun on his face and the wind in his hair. He saw beauty everywhere he looked, and he had to savor in it. Town to town, country to country, moving forward. If life was a race, he'd be winning. With 10 bucks to his name and a notebook under his arm, he could climb mountains. And when he sees that boy with the blankest life, he decided he needs to color him in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is something that had been said over and over again, but somehow hasn't gotten through. Septiplier fans need to back off. I understand that's it's cute when you see people you think should get together, but that does not give anyone the right to harass them about it. The only ship that I've ever seen with such insanity is Phan, which they both have said that they think it's okay. But septiplier has a very bad name, so we as a whole need to shape up and respect them. Luckily both Mark and Jack tend to be very accepting of their ship, but that doesn't mean that we can send death threats to their girlfriends. Mark and Jack have had serious invasions of privacy since they got big, so let's make an effort to slow down, take a step back, and leave them be.

Jack stepped out of the car, Mary following shortly behind. He gazed at the monster in front of him, she actually had four funnels. A one in a million ship. He should have been overwhelmed with excitment. He was off to America for his wedding on the largest boat in the world. But he felt empty. 

"I don't see what all the fuss is about, it doesn't _look_ any bigger than the Mauritania." He sighed. People hurried around him in an inescapable mass. He heard little else than instructions shouted and gasps of amazement. The air smelled of sweat and smoke and ocean salt. He felt cramped and crowded. 

"You can be blasé about some things, Jack, but not about Titanic. It's over a hundred feet longer than the Mauritania and far more luxurious. It has squash courts, Persian cafes, even Turkish baths." Mary explained. Men would sneak glances at the lovely lady who resembled a porcelain doll. Pale skin and dark ringlets of curls with eyes greener than the seaweed in the ocean she was about to sail. She cinched her waist in so tight it was a wonder she could breathe at all. Her perfume was scented with honey and lavender. 

"My son is much too hard to impress." His mother stated. 

"So this is the ship they say is unsinkable." He watched people pass and saw them loading their things. 

"It is unsinkable. God himself couldn't sink this ship." Mary stated. Jack felt cold towards her. Not angry, or upset, or mean, but distant and bored to be frank. If he was normal he'd love her. But poor Jack had a secret. He didn't find lovely maidens remotely appealing. They were pretty to look at, but nothing more. He didn't understand how everyone else got so excited about touching and cradling and the how the thought of viewing a naked woman made them go mad. 

As a matter of fact, he loved boys. The muscles under their skin, the rough scratch of their cheeks when they haven't shaved, the way calloused fingers felt on his body. He wanted so badly to be a girl just so he could feel their soft lips against his. 

His fiancée and mother bickered about how late they were and how late they were. 

"You told me to change." He defended. 

"I couldn't let you wear black on a sailing day, sweetheart, it's bad luck." Mary told him. 

"I felt like black." He responded.

~*~

The pub smelled like cigarettes and beer. Mark heard his opponents speaking rapid fire Italian. They seemed ferociously angry. Everything looked smokey and small, even though there was still plenty of room. The cards in his hands were smooth, the wood under his arms hard and rough. Felix sat next to him. In the center of the table were coins and bills from four countries and a pair of tickets. The whistle sounded again. 

"The moment of truth boys. Somebody's life's about to change." Mark's voice reverberated through the room as they all flipped their cards over, "Felix's got ingenting, Fabrizio you've got squat. Alonzo, uh oh, two pair. Sorry Felix."

"What sorry? What you got? You lose our money?" Felix demanded in his broken, accented English. He switched to his ferocious sounding Swedish. 

"Sorry you're not gonna see your mama again for a long time," He slaps his cards on the table, "Cause you're going to America! Full house boys!" 

The table explodes into loud, voices. Two furious and demanding, one overjoyed. Fabrizio stands up and balls a fist. He swings and just barely misses Mark's nose, he nails Alonzo in the jaw. Felix picks Mark up and carries him around the pub.

"No," the bartender states, "Titanic is going America in five minutes."

"Shit!" Mar exclaims, jumping away from Felix and pulling him along to the ship docked outside. He sprints up the gangway and flashes his tickets in the man's face. 

"Have you been through the inspection queue?" He asks. Mark nods furiously. 

"Of course. Anyway, we don't have any lice, we're Americans." He glances back at Felix, "Both of us."

They were welcomed aboard. They both ran up to the deck and waved goodbye to the crowd ad the ship pulled out. They didn't know anybody, but that wasn't the point. 

When they finally head down to their room, they lightly push each other and joke about. The pass through a maze of halls. Passengers argue over luggage and emigrants translate signs with books. The room is small and bare, the walls are white and two bunk beds are pushed to the sides. Pipes are exposed above them, but it's nicer than most third class rooms. Felix climbs up to the top bunk, Mark teasing him about his right to the top before throwing his bag on the bottom. He loved it all, it was a new adventure, something to explore. 

~*~

Jack is looking at his lovely paintings. A maid pours him a glass of orange juice and he thanks her. Mary's safe is wheeled in and she tells them where to set it up. How could they be so interested in the space? Trudy commented on the smell the room had, free and new. She commented on being the first to use the sheets and Mary made an innuendo about being Jack's first. She places her hands on his shoulders. A sign to most as affection, but in reality it's an act of possession. 

"The first and only, forever." She tells him. Jack felt his heart grow cold and heavy. He wished he could live in those paintings he loved so dearly. Mary's hatred of them made his love them even more. The geometric designs by something Picasso would be perfect to break out of this hole he's stuck in. The ballerinas would take him in and teach him to dance away. Waterlilys floating on the open water, if only he could sink beneath them and stay with them forever. Actually, he was on a boat. He could do that. What was stopping him? Nothing could be worse than living in this hellscape. 

Money was the work of the Devil himself. Just as Eve was tempted by the delicious fruit, mankind was tempted by the glittering diamonds and gold. They give up their Eden of excitment and fulfillment and trade it for a world of sameness. The same people, the same places, the same conversations, the same clothes, the same food, the same pictures, the same books, the same songs, the same bitter expressions when one acts out of turn. 

Many think Satan is a horrific being of fire and rage with horns and claws and firey eyes. But he's beautiful. He disguises himself as all your desires and pulls you in until you can't get out. He is everything you can imagine until you peel back the layers and see the stoney heart inside him. 

The only other thing running through his head is _run, run, run._ And he intends to follow that advice very soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scenes included:
> 
> [Rose boards Titanic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYlc30NtRy8)   
>  [Jack's poker game](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkZZTEObx1k)   
>  [Rose in her cabin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyUmEBwZdhc)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for self harm via dinner fork, as well as a suicide attempt. It's in the movie, but I figured I should put it here.

They had crab for dinner that night. Only the finest for the parade of boredom. He held his hands in his lap, a fork in one hand. He smiled and made light conversation, as he was taught to. But under the cloth, he was digging the tines of the fork into the tender skin of his wrist. He could feel the blunt metal pierce his skin and blood welling from the puncture. But his face held nothing but thoughtful composure. They walked back to their room.

Jack had hit a breaking point. He couldn't stand it any more. He grabbed at the necklace he wore around his throat, he didn't know where it came from or why he was so fond of it. But she had a million other just like it. He tore it away from his throat. Pearls exploded throughout the room, delicate pings sounded through the air as they landed on the floor and rolled in every direction.

He ripped away at everything, tearing his clothes and ripping out his hair. He picked up a handmirror, probably pure silver, and hurdled it at the wall. It shattered. He began to cry and burst out the door onto the deck. A couple watched him run passed and he caught a glimpse of their shocked expressions. He didn't care. He was sobbing so hard he couldn't breathe. He stopped to catch a breath at a mast. He knew he was a mess, but it soothed him. Finally he looked as he felt. He'd lost his coat. A few buttons on his shirt had been undone, leaving most of his chest exposed to the frigid air. He looked around, and his eyes rested on the rail. He knew what was behind it. 

Peace. 

He took careful steps forward, not entirely in control of his own body. He clumsily climbed over the railing. He was facing out to the black water like a morbid figurehead. He let his grip loosen a little, then a little more, a little more, and-

"Don't do it." Jack turns his head around to see a man standing leisurely on the deck. It took him a moment to focus on what was in front of him. Dark hair, dark eyes that hinted at Asian heritage. Muscular. Dirty. That's all he could make out through his tears. 

"Stay away." Jack shouted at him. He took a step forward and held out a hand. 

"Take my hand and I'll pull you back in." He spoke gently. 

"No!" He screamed, "Stay there. I'll let go. I swear it." 

"No you won't." He said with a shrug. 

"What the hell do you know about me? What gives you the right to tell me what I will and will not do?" Jack sneers at him. 

"You would've done it already. Now please take, my hand. It'll be okay." The man smiled. Jack let go with one of his hands and wiped his eyes. The full force of his features hit him all at once. The Adonis of a man standing before him and the fact that he had half the grip he did before made his hand slip. He almost plummeted into the water. 

"You're distracting me. Go away." He snapped. The man simply leaned against the railing. 

"Can't I'm involved. If you jumped I'd have to go in after you." He told him.

"You'd die." Jack insisted. The man stripped off his tattered jacket. 

"I'm a decent swimmer." He started untying his shoes. 

"You'd die as soon as you hit the water." 

"It'd hurt like hell, but I wouldn't die. Honestly I'm more afraid of the water being so cold. My guess is a couple degrees above freezing, at the warmest." He pulled of his shoes. Jack was smacked in the face with the reality of what he was doing. Suddenly he wanted to climb back to safety, "You ever been to Wisconsin?" 

Jack shook his head.

"Well they have some of the coldest winters ever. My dad would take my brother and me out there for Christmas. Once we were ice-fishing. That's when you cut a hold in the-"

"I know what ice-fishing is!" Jack shouted. Urging him to get to the point. 

"Sorry. You just seem like you prefer the indoors. Anyway, I fell in. And when the waters that cold, like it is right down there, it hits you like a bed of knives. Everything stops inside you. The only thing you can think about is pain. Which is why I'm kind of hoping you'll come back over, so I don't have to jump in."

"You're insane." Jack tells him. 

"Says the one hanging off the back of a boat." The man gestured at his position, "As much as you think you want this, I know you don't. So just take my hand and I'll pull you back over." 

Jack looked at him, his dark eyes, and he felt full. Full of what, he didn't know. But after feeling like a husk, it was welcome, "Okay."

He took his hand and began to turn around. 

"I'm Mark Fichbach, by the way." Mark had a firm grip on his hand. 

"It's a pleasure." Jack chuckled and cracked a smile. 

The rail was slick with ice and his foot slipped under him. His heart pounded in his chest and he shook with fear as he fell. He screamed and Mark grabbed his wrist with the other hand. 

"It's okay. I won't let you go. I promise. You'll be okay." Mark comforts him. Jack could feel his eyes welling with tears again. The struggle to get him over the rail. Pulling and tugging and anything within reach, they finally do it. They land tangled together on the deck. Mark somehow landing over Jack. He brushes the hair out of his face and wipes the tears from his cheeks before placing his hand back down on the wood. He meant to push himself up, but a crewman yelled at them before he got a chance. 

Mark swore under his breath. Jack realized very quickly what appeared the happen. His torn clothes, disheveled hair, screaming. Mark pinning him down. It didn't take a genius to assume. 

"Stand up right now. Stay away from him." He was obviously fuming. 

~*~

This scene as all too familiar to Mark. It wasn't the first time he'd been forced into handcuffs because someone saw him with a man. This time, he wasn't though. The skinny boy, whose name he'd learned was Jack, was crying on a bench. A workman stood over him reading off his repeated offenses. 

"-caught stealing bread as well as pencils, found hiring multiple prostitutes, multiple sexual offenses, gambling, have you done everything short of kill a man?" He scowled.

"I wanted to get married, does that count?" Mark snapped. A very angry young woman marched in and started yelling at him. 

"Mary, it was an accident." Jack told her. 

"This was an accident?" She was wild with anger, in nothing but a dressing gown. 

"It was a stupid mistake. I was leaning over the edge and slipped. Mark saved my life." He insisted, "I wanted to see the propellers."

Mark understood the look he gave him and when he was asked to confirm the story, he simply nodded. Mary pulled a blanket around his shoulders and started pulling her fiancé inside. Without a second thought she told them to pay the boy a 20 and leave him be. 

"So that's what I'm worth to you." Jack snarled and pushed away from her. He turned to Mark, "You're invited to dinner with us tomorrow. I pray I'll see you then."

"Sure." He couldn't stop the little smile on his face from forming. Dinner with such a cute little thing, he couldn't wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scenes included:
> 
> [Rose suicide attempt](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqnnQXsFDhE)


	3. Chapter 3

Mary knocked quietly on the door before opening it. Jack had been dressing for bed, but she hadn't even removed her boots. She sat down on the bed and motioned for him to join. 

"You've been melancholy. I don't even pretend to understand why," She said with an unexpected tenderness, "And as much you try to hide it, I know you adore jewelry. Most everything else fit for ladies as well. I intended to give you this after our engagement ceremonies, but I believe it will lift your spirits."

She handed him a relatively small, black, velvet box. He opened it up and was greeted with the most shinning gem he'd ever seen. Big, blue, and shaped like a heart. It was absolutely perfect, even the usual jewels he saw every day wouldn't compare to this. His breathing nearly stopped when he saw it. 

"It's a 56 karat diamond. Turn around and let me put it on you." Mary urged. She placed the diamond around his neck and hooked the clasp together. The moment her hands stopped supporting it, the necklace started pulling him down. If he fell overboard with this on, he would sink straight to the bottom. He wasn't paying attention as she described the rich history it had lived. He didn't listen when she told him how much she loved him. He waited for her to leave. 

The moment the door closed, he took off the necklace and placed it back in the box. It was closed and quickly forgotten, along with the pearls hiding away in a box. No one needed to know about that. The room was tidied up exactly has it had been, and all evidence of anything going wrong was pushed away and buried. 

~*~

Mark laughed as Felix's struggled to flirt with the cute Italian girl. Both spoke very little English and none of the others native language. That was quickly put out of his mind as his own unreachable cutie came into view.

"May I talk to you, privately?" Jack asked. All eyes were on him, but how could they be pulled away? 

"Of course. After you." He motions for him to take the lead. He asks for a name. Jack wasn't enough for him. 

"Sean William McLoughlin. Ma calls me Jack." He replies, "I wanted to thank you. For everything. I'm sure you sitting there thinking about how this poor little rich boy knew nothing of misery." 

"Actually, I was thinking about what possibly made you so upset that you thought there was no way out." Mark corrects, and suddenly Jack poured out his heart and soul to a mostly stranger. 

He was stuck, trapped. He had to run away, but he ran out of boat. Before he had time to think he was over the rail, "I was so furious. This'll show them, they'll be sorry now."

"Yeah they'd be sorry, but you'd be too dead to appreciate it. What about that girl last night? She one of them?" Mark asked. They walked together along the deck. 

"She is them."

"She a girlfriend?" Mark may have had his own selfish reasons for asking. 

"Worse, fiancée." Jack sneered, "I don't even want to marry her. It was an arranged marriage. Hell, I don't even like women. Why am I telling the sex offender this?" 

"Know why I'm a sex offender?" Mark didn't want this to get in the way, especially after that confession. 

"Do I even want to?" Jack chuckled. 

"Because I don't like girls either. Police found out I had a boyfriend. He lied about me to keep himself out of prison. Felix managed to bail me out. Believe it not, we aren't together anymore." He explained, "But I wouldn't ever do anything to deserve that term."

Jack motions to his sketchbook. Mark sits them down and flips through the pages. The first few are innocent. An old woman's hands, a man sleeping on a train, a father and son looking out over the railing. Each face was bright and full of life. It was if this book was a tribute to human life. Then he reached the more adult portion of the drawings. Pictures of the naked body were usually harsh and cold, only used for a study of form. But these were intimate, expressive, perfectly beautiful. It was enough to make Jack blush. Mark wanted nothing more than to kiss his cheek and maybe make him blush more. 

"A-are these drawn from life?" He stuttered out. Mark nodded, "You have a gift. You see people."

"I see you." Mark told him. He put as much warmth into the statement he could. 

"And?" Jack seemed a little closer than before. 

"You wouldn't've jumped." He locks eyes with him. 

~*~

For the first time in his life, Jack feels free. He's laughing and smiling and enjoying life. He tells her about his pictures. Sometimes he could sell them for a whole 10 cents. Jack wants to go to the pier he's talking about. He begs him to make a trip out of it. 

"Alright. We'll drink cheap beer, or you will. I'm allergic to alcohol. We can ride the rollercoaster until he throw up. Maybe even ride horses in the surf. But you gotta do it like a cowboy. I know you're feminine, but you're not getting away with of that side sale garbage." Mark nudges him. 

"You mean you expect me to ride with one leg on each side? You'll have to show me." Jack says with a sarcastic smile. He wasn't expecting Mark to lean over to his ear. 

"I can show you how to ride if you'd like." His voice had dropped an octave lower than it already was. Jack nearly melted. The sentence dripped with sex appeal, and all he wanted was to listen to it all day. Blood rushed to his face and turned him beet red. 

"I think I would." He muttered back. Grasping for anything to pull the conversation back to the child friendly he asked Mark to teach him to spit. 

The lesson was quickly put out when they saw Jack's mother standing, watching like a hawk. He bowed his head as he introduced them to each other. He had every quality that she hated. Long hair, dirty clothes, an unshaven face, the personification of a mutt. The bell rang for dinner and his mother hurried Jack off to get dressed. 

~*~

Mark was amazed at all the pretty lights and colors that surrounded him. Molly Brown helped fix him up with a suit to wear and he felt amazing. He tried to copy the other gentlemen and what they did, nobody looked twice at him. He spotted Jack at the bottom of the stairs and walked down to him. He glanced around, no one was paying attention. He bowed and took his hand, kissing the back of his fingers. 

"I saw that in a movie once and I've always wanted to try it." He smiled up at him. Jack held down his laughter, making his stomach twist up painfully. They sorted themselves in a normal position for two men to stand in and Jack introduced Mark to Mary. 

"I hardly recognized you. You could nearly pass for a gentleman." She gasped before moving on. 

Dinner was a disaster on his brain. What did he need three forks for? Two knives? Why were there four glasses? Molly whispered to him to work from the outside in. The men asked where he was from, the girls giggled horribly. 

"Your name says German, but your face says Asian. Care to enlighten us?" One of the men asked. 

"Both actually. My dad was from Germany, Mom was Korean. I grew up in Cincinnati." Mark told them. He did his best to follow the mannerisms of the others. They talked delicately about things of no importance. As he left, he shook Jack's hand, slipping a piece of paper into it. 

_Make it count. Meet me at the clock._

He hears him walking up the steps and turns to smile at him. 

"Wanna go to a real party?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scenes Included:
> 
> [Rose gets the Heart of the Ocean](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oAPg5W2t34)  
> [Jack shows Rose his drawings](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwxOJQqaj-Y) (My personal favorite scene. I didn't nearly do it justice.)  
> [Jack teaches Rose to spit](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLQJTfOjrnE)  
> [Jack visits first class](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQIYPYBDPj0) (Couldn't find a clip with the full scene, but this works."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for some period typical homophobia, and a small amount of emotional abuse. Not much, but it is there.

Jack feels alive. It's loud, and crazy, and his head hurts from the stimulation. But he loves it. Mark's out dancing with a little girl named Cora. His Swedish friend his talking with an Italian girl. The song ends and Jack politely asks Cora if he could cut in. Mark assures her that she his best girl and whisks Jack away to the dance floor. His hand is on his back and he pulls him flush against his body. A spark of electricity runs through his spine as they twirl away. 

"I don't know the steps." Jack protests. 

"Neither do I." Mark laughs. They dance around, sometimes close enough to feel each other's breath on their face, sometimes only clinging by their fingertips. He pulls them up onto the little wooden platform. It was a sad excuse for a stage, but it was well loved. Mark began preforming an Irish jig, Jack quickly following suit. Mark's eyes widened in surprise and continued with a more elaborate step. Jack recreated it perfectly, smirking as he did. 

He spun him around and they jumped back down off the stage to sit down. Jack took Felix's cigarette from his mouth and took a drag. He was beginning to get cocky, something he hadn't felt in a long time. The blond laughs at him, his hand in the Italian's. Her name was Marzia. They all order a pint and Jack downs his in just a few gulps. He might have been showing off a little. They all look at her with wide eyes and open mouths. 

"Well I'm an Irishman, aren't I?" He sits back in his chair, panting from the excitment. Mark explodes with laughter and puts an arm around his waist, pulling him close. 

~*~

They're walking along the deck singing together. 

_Come Josephine in my flying machine_  
_And it's up she goes! Up she goes!_  
_In the air she goes. Where? There she goes!_

Mark knew just as well as Jack that the entrance for first class was just around the corner. He didn't want tonight to bee over, and it seemed neither did Jack. He walked over to the railing and leaned against it. Mark followed suit, just brushing their hands together. 

"They're all so small. They think they're taller than God, but they're nothing but dust in his eyes." Jack said. 

"I think it was a mistake." Mark said, "The stork must've messed up the address. It's the only explanation."

Jack laughed and pointed to a shooting star. 

"Dad used to say that shooting stars were souls leaving for heaven." Mark said. All he could feel was the slightest touch of their skin. 

"That's pretty. Make a wish." Jack smiled up at him. Mark moved a little closer, close enough that with a tilt of the head they'd be kissing. 

"What would you wish for?" He asked quietly. 

"Something I can't have." Jack pulled back sharply, "Goodnight, and thank you." 

He hurried around the corner. 

"Jack wait-"

The door was shut before he could finish his thought. He felt like crying, when he left. He kept his composer and walked back down to third class. He had nearly tasted him. Nearly felt him. But he didn't. 

~*~

"I expected a visit from you last night." Mary told him at breakfast. 

"I was tired." Jack wasn't technically lying. 

"I'm sure that party of street rats was most exhilarating." She sneered. 

"I see you had that gorilla of a man follow me." Jack snapped back. 

"You will never behave that way again. Is that understood?" Mary glared at him. 

"I'm not a damn slave for you to control. I'm your fiancé and-"

Mary stood up so suddenly that a plate smashed on the floor, "You are my husband and you will show me respect as if I were your wife. I will not be made a fool by you running around like some sort of bugger in dreamland. You are faithful to none but me. Do I make myself clear?" 

The maid, Trudy, stood in the doorway, stunned. Mary straightened herself out and stalked out of the room. Trudy began picking up the pieces of glass scattered over the floor. Jack tried to push down the tear begging to stream down his cheeks once again, sadly a few strays managed to escape. She put an arm around his shoulders and let him sob. He wanted nothing more than Mark's strong arms around him, his lips pressing kisses into his hair, his rumbling voice soothing him. A motherly hand would have to do as a replacement. 

~*~

Jack was arguing with a sailor about the lifeboats. There were half as many as they may need, but no one seemed particularly worried. Mark manages to catch his attention and leads him into some empty room he found on the way over. 

"Mark I can't do this. Mother has forbidden me from seeing you." He says. Mark grabs his shoulders. 

"Jack, you are a handful. A downright spoiled brat sometimes, but beneath that is something beautiful. You're smart, and pure, and easily the most astounding man I've ever met."

"Mark-"

"Let me finish. You are amazing, and I have nothing to offer you. But like I said before, I'm involved. You jump I jump. I can't leave you without knowing you'll be okay." Mark rubs his shoulders. 

"I'll be fine, really. I-"

"No you won't." Mark said sadly, "It's suffocating you. This life is killing you, Jack."

"Mark, please. For your sake and mine. Leave me alone." He insisted. Tears sprouted at the corners of his eyes. He left. 

~*~

Jack was having tea with mother. She was discussing the wedding with Mary. He thought about what Mark had told him, and he realized that he was right. He picked up his teacup and poured it over his pant leg. 

"Look at that. I've made such a mess. Clumsy old me." He said with no emotion whatsoever. He stood up and walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A real party](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KffX-8tx_Jw) (Ignore what I said last chapter, this has the tail end of his dinner in first class.)  
> [Shooting star](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNIx3vpKVc8)  
> [Cal goes table flipping](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCMpbgX5-us)  
> [Jack confesses](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiGrKp6s4VI)


	5. Chapter 5

"Mark." He heard his name called. He turned around to see Jack running towards him on the deck, "I change my mind, Mark. Felix to me you'd probably be-" 

"Shush." He says quiety. He puts his hands on Jack's hips, "Close your eyes." 

Jack obeys in an instant. Mark guides him carefully to the bow where he'd been standing. He presses his body against the rail, facing out toward the ocean. He gently gives him directions to stand on the lower most railing. His knuckles were white from gripping the metal. 

"Do you trust me?" Mark muttered into his ear. Jack nodded. Mark took his hands and carefully lifted them up and out, they shook the entire way. He let go and wrapped his arms around his waist, keeping him steady. 

"Okay, now look out." He whispered. Jack gasped at the view in front of him. They looked out into open water, no trace of the ship below them. 

"I feel like I'm flying." Jack leaned into the wind. Mark nuzzled his nose in his neck. It was perfect peace. Mark laced their hands back together and rested his chin on his shoulder. 

"Come Josephine in my flying machine-" He sang quietly to Jack as they stood against the wind. Jack began pulling their hands down, back to his waist. He turned his head back, bumping into Mark's nose. And just like that, they were kissing. Mark melted into him, deeper and deeper. After so much fight, he finally had him. 

Jack ran his fingers through his hair and pulled him in closer. It was all just so perfect. Every fiber in his being wanted to stay like this forever. Jack pulled away just barely. 

"Can you draw me something?" He asked, more in a whisper than anything else. Mark nodded. They stepped down and they wandered back into Jack's room. 

The room was breathtaking. Mark brushed his fingers along necklaces adorned with precious jewels. Cases of screwback earrings filled the vanity. Even a few cosmetics littered the room. Anything remotely feminine was hidden or mostly blocked from sight. The only reason Mark noticed anything at all was because he'd trained himself to notice things. 

A case lay under the bed overflowing with women's clothing. Mark eyed Jack when he noticed. 

"Don't say a word." Jack warned. 

"I think it's cute." Mark pecked his cheek, "Where's Mary?" 

"Probably gossiping with the others. Besides, it's not like she expects anyone other than me to take initiative in anything." He shrugged and opened the safe. He took out the necklace.

"Holy shit." Mark exclaimed when he saw it, "That a sapphire?" 

"Diamond. It's called the Heart of the Ocean." Jack said, "I want you to draw me wearing this."

"Sure, it'll-"

"Wearing only this." Jack interrupted. Mark turned red at the thought of his precious boy all laid out for the taking. 

"As fucking gorgeous that idea sounds, I think I have a better one. If you're trying for rebellion anyway." Mark was amazed he didn't stutter. 

"And what would that be?" Jack tilted his head. Mark eyed the case of clothes under the bed. 

"How about we play dress up instead." Mark asked. Jack smirked at the idea. They planned out what he would wear and Jack went into another room the change. 

Mark helped him into a corset, but left the rest up to him. He started to set up while Jack got dressed. He had just finished lining up the pencils when he walked in. Mark actually began to drool at the sight. Waist cinched in just enough the create an illusion, the cloth they had wrapped around his chest to protect his skin from the harsh material was no longer visible. Stockings were clipped up. The necklace hung at his chest. Anything beyond that was entirely absent. 

"I feel more naked than if I were actually naked." Jack smiled. Mark couldn't stop staring. He went to go lay down on the couch, and was directed where to put limbs. He was positioned in such a way that you could see every little bit, from his waist, to the necklace. Mark began to draw. 

"Do I see a blush?" Jack asked with a gentle smile, "I can't imagine Monet blushing."

"He does landscapes. Now keep your expression neutral. 

~*~

Jack had changed once again, gulping in air the moment the corset was loose enough to do so. He watched as Mark signed the drawing, pure erotic is what it was. He wrote the date along with the signature. 

_4/14/1912_

When they sat together once more, sharing frequent kisses and light conversation, they were once again interrupted. A servant of Mary's was following them. They bolted through all and corridors, keeping as close as possible without grabbing the other's hand, wouldn't want to raise suspicion. They rode down to a lower deck and ran through a maze of tunnels and rooms before settling in a room full of cars. Mark opened the door for Jack and bowed as he stepped inside, gripping his hand for support. Mark closed the door and climbed up front. Jack pulled down the window as Mark honked the horn.

"Where to good sir?" He asked with a falsified accent. 

"To the stars" Jack whispered to him, tugging him into the back seat with him. Mark wrapped his arm around his shoulders and pulled him in, tightly. It was as if he never wanted to let go. Not that Jack wanted to let go of his coat collar either. They stared at each other, eyes filled with longing as they laced their hands together. Both knew very well what the other wanted, it was just a matter of initiating. Mark asked if he was nervous. Jack shook his head. He smiled warmly and brought his hand down to his lips. He kissed the pads of his fingers gently. Mark lifted his face up, loving how precious he looked with big doe eyes, shining brightly despite the dim glow of the lights overhead. His hair was messy and hanging around his face in small waves. 

"Put your hands on me." Jack muttered, voice barely audible. Mark looked at him, almost worried that he'd heard wrong. In response, Jack took his hand and placed it firmly on his chest. Mark did the same with lips. Within just a few seconds, Jack was on his back on the seat with Mark pressed on top of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've gotten to the point where all I hear is that stupid flute song that's always in the background. I started out just reading the script and going along from there, but for some of the scenes I watch clips from the movie and that song is always there.
> 
> Scenes included:
> 
> [I'm flying, Jack](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MDPeL8lpzo)  
> [Draw me like one of your French girls](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2yE6rHthdk&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DP2yE6rHthdk&has_verified=1) (Contains nudity)  
> [Put your hands on me, Jack](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNoX72aMuvU)


	6. Chapter 6

Mark was trembling, he pulled away from the kiss. The windows were fogged up. Mark rested his cheek on his chest.

"I can feel your heart beating." He said. Jack cradled his head, holding it against his chest. His handprints were left on the glass of the back window from when he might have been doing a bit more than just straddling him. That was before he pushed Jack onto his back once more, as that was where they were now. He could feel Mark's hot cum dripping out of him.

~*~

They were chasing each other down the decks, laughing until they couldn't breathe. Mark pulled Jack in close, holding him tightly. Jack places a hand on his face, holding a cheek.

"When this boat docks, I'm getting off with you." He said. 

"You're insane." Mark laughed.

"This makes no sense, but that's why I want to go for it." He grinned. Mark grabbed his neck and kissed him. He kissed him like he wanted nothing more than to push him onto the deck and go for round two. His hands worked their way down, "Mark, someone will see us."

"I don't care, baby girl." He said into the kiss. Jack whined. Thank god he learned about that little kink of his. Turned him into a moaning mess.

Suddenly the entire boat began to shake. Loud scraping sounds rang through the freezing air. Jack's eyes grew wide with fear as the massive ice block towered over the deck, spilling ice over the railing. Mark pushed him away as he spun around to watch it float by. As soon as it was safe, Mark dashed over, weaving through the blocks of ice, Jack close behind. They stared down at the hull into the inky water, trying to assess the damage. When they saw nothing and gave up, they hoped for the best and started heading inside. Three men pushed through the pair, muttering about not being able to do anything.

"Shit, I guess it really is bad." Mark told him. 

"We should tell the others." Jack looked up at him. He was biting his lip.

"Now it's worse."

"Please come with." Jack begged. Mark hated them, but he guessed he probably should.

~*~

They walked into the room, Jack stating instantly that it was an emergency.

"Yes it is, two of my valuables have gone missing." Mary said, "And now that one is back, I have a pretty good idea where the other went. Search him."

Two guards in the room walked up to Mark and yanked off his coat. One searched the coat while the other pat him down.

"Mary, this is ridiculous. We have a life or death situation to-"

"Is this it ma'am?" One of the guards asked. Pulling Jack's necklace out of the coats pocket. Jack's jaw dropped, so did Mark's. 

"It is. Thank you." She said sweetly to them. They pulled out their cuffs and forced Mark's hands behind his back.

"No, I didn't-Jack, don't you dare believe it for one second." He was shaking his head.

"He couldn't have." Jack furrowed his eyebrows. When could he possibly have taken it? But, what if he did?

"Of course he could've. He must've memorized the combination when you opened the safe." Mary explained. Mark continued to stare in shock.

"But, I was with him the whole time, he couldn't-"

"Maybe he did it when you were busy putting your clothes back on." Mary whispered harshly in his ear. Jack wanted to sob. 

"No, they must've put it in my pocket, I would never-"

"It's not even your pocket, is it now?" One of the guards asked, showing his the collar of the coat, "You see, it says right here. Property of A. L. Reyrson. This was reported stolen today."

Jack didn't know what to think. There was so much, too much. He stared blankly ahead. Mark continued to swear that he didn't take it as they pull him out of the room. Mary watched him leave, staying in the doorway for a moment before walking briskly over to Jack. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but closed it again. She stood in front of him, regarding him. She slapped him across the face.

"You little slut." 

Jack stared at the ground, his face stinging. Mary grabbed his face and forced him to look at her.

"Look at me when I'm speaking, bitch." She snapped. A man walked in the room and old them to put on lifebelts, "We're busy."

"I'm afraid I have it insist, Captain's orders. I also suggest dressing warmly, it's quite cold tonight." He said. Mary threw up her hands and walked away. The man handed Jack, who was on the brink of tears and holding his face, a lifebelt, "Don't worry sir, I'm sure it's just a precaution."

He spoke sweetly. Jack wanted to burst. He wanted to shout about all that he'd been through, tell this man that his fiance had just hit him, you could see the handprint. But he knew that no one would believe him. 

They were walking, Jack felt like a sleepwalker. Mary was sitting and complaining about something or other. Andrews walked by, looking as dazed as Jack felt. He stopped him.

"I saw the iceberg, Mr. Andrews. Look into my eyes and tell me the truth." Jack told him blankly.

"This ship will sink. An hour or two and all of this will be at the bottom of the Atlantic." He said.

"Oh my god." Mary said with shock.

"Get off the boats as quickly as possible. You remember the lifeboats." He told Jack, who nodded, "I do not want to be responsible for a panic."

"Not a word." Jack promised.

They were climbed onto the lifeboats. His mother was going on and on about how she hoped they weren't too crowded, would they be loaded according to class?

"Shut up, won't you? There are not enough lifeboats for everyone, not enough by half. And that water is freezing. Half of the people on this boat are going to die. Do you understand that." He snapped at her. He had had enough of her shit.

"Not the better half." Mary stated and climbed onto the boat.

"Oh no." Jack just remembered. Mark was third class. He dashed off as fast as he could, praying he could find him fast enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scenes included:  
> [Ride into the sunset with Jack](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khvo6ugZiJI)  
> [Iceberg dead ahead](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv4nGAqybU4)  
> [Jack is framed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl6MO0AjBfw)  
> [Rose gets the news](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVlLTxRsoUo)


	7. Chapter 7

Mark was cuffed to the waterpipe. He watched the water slowly rising up the glass of the porthole. The water was slanted diagonally across the glass. The man sat at the table next to him. He put a bullet on the flat table and watched it roll towards him like he was magnetic. 

"You know, I really do believe this ship will sink." He broke the silence and stood up, "I've been asked to give you a small token of our appreciation."

He walked over to Mark and punched him in the gut. Mark couldn't breathe, he would've collapsed if the pipe wasn't holding him up. He'd gotten into a few fights in his day, but that was one of the harder blows he'd taken, "Compliments of Ms. Mary Hockley."

He picked up the key to open the handcuffs, flipped it, and stuck it in his pocket. He walked out of the room, leaving Mark gasping for air. He was stuck there for nearly half an hour, pulling on the pipe knowing it wouldn't budge. He heard a gurgling sound and watched water spill out from under the door. He swore and tried yanking one of his hands out of the cuffs. He pulled until his wrist was raw and red.

"Help!" He used his last resort, screaming, "Someone please! Can anyone hear me?"

~*~

"Mr. Andrew's, thank God I found you. Where would the Master at Arms take someone under arrest." Jack was out of breath from running.

"What are you doing here? You should be on the boats." He grabbed Jack's arm, attempting to lead him back up. Jack yanked it away.

"No. I'm doing this with or without you. But without will take longer." He snapped. 

"Take the elevator down to the bottom, go left down the crewman's passage, then make a right." He said, knowing that Jack wasn't going to quit.

"Bottom, left, right. Got it." He hurried away to the elevator. He heard Mr. Andrew's calling after him to hurry. He ran to the elevator operator just stepping out to close up. 

"I'm sorry sir, but lifts are closed-" The operator was interrupted by Jack pushing back in.

"I'm done with being polite! I'll never be polite again for the rest of my life! Now take me down!" Jack was shaking with more emotion than he knew he could feel. The operator fumbled with the switch to take him down. He followed his instructions and called out Mark's name.

~*~

Mark was done. This was how he died. Cuffed to a pipe for something he didn't do, wrists and voice raw. He collapsed against the pole and gave up. The water was up to his knees now. He heard someone yelling for him, it sounded like Jack. It was probably just his brain playing tricks on him, but he called out anyway.

"Jack, I'm in here." He said. The door burst open, creating a little wave in the room. He'd never been happier in his life. Jack splashed through the water over to Mark and wrapped his arms around him. Mark would've done the same if he could, he settled for covering every inch of Jack he could reach with kisses, "He put it in my pocket, baby girl. It wasn't-"

"I know, I know. Don't worry." He smiled and kissed him.

"See if there's another key. Try the drawers, it'll be a little brass one." He instructed Jack. He nodded and went to search the drawers, "So how'd you figure out that I didn't do it."

"I didn't." Jack said, he looked up at the other man, "I just realized I already knew."

"Fuck, I'm in love with you." Mark said. Jack blushed and returned to his search.

"I love you too." He said quietly, "But there's no key."

"You'll have to find help." Mark told him.

"I'll be right back. Stay here." Jack said as he hurried out of the room. Mark stared down at his still cuffed hands.

"I don't really have a choice." He said to himself. He sat for a few minutes, staring at the swirling water. He was convinced that Jack had abandoned him when he finally came back holding a fire axe, "Jack why is your hand bloody?"

Jack looked down at his hands, "Oh, it is isn't it. I may have punched a man and broken his nose, not sure about the last bit though."

"How am I turned on and scared for my life at the same time?" Mark asked.

"We can fuck again once we get you out." Jack said. 

"Okay, take a couple practice swings over there." Mark jerked his head towards a wooden cabinet. Jack sloshed over at his the cupboard with the axe, "Now try to hit the same mark again."

Jack swung and missed by about four inches. Mark was going to lose a hand.

"I think that's enough practice." He spread his hands as far as they could go, but it was only about an inch of space. Mark squeezed his eyes shut and tried to give him some words of encouragement. He heard a loud bang and looked down. He grinned when he saw the chain snapped in half. He grabbed Jack's hand and splashed away. They ran passed Felix begging Marzia to stay with him. They were stopped by a crowd of people pushing on an iron gate. a man was at the top of the stairs telling the all to go the the main stairwell.

Mark lost it then and there, "Goddamnit to hell you son of a bitch!"

He started to pull on a bench that was bolted to the floor. Felix came over and began pulling. More and more people came to help until it finally broke free. Jack cleared a path for them to ram the gate down. They all ran upstairs, Mark took Jack's hand and they ran up to the top deck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scenes Included:  
> [Jack gets punched](https://youtu.be/SWIjbuDjmh0?list=PLVgZUx7eMlbWIk9XNjtyJlWz5LSdqlIU6)  
> [Rose looks for Jack](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKlVgtnLncg)  
> [Rose looks for help (not included but implied, and probably a good explanation for what happened)](https://youtu.be/W1CvP3XpkC0)  
> [That's enough practice](https://youtu.be/uqTDOP3Sfo8)  
> [Goddamnit to hell you son of a bitch](https://youtu.be/gQ-2ZcDxTlY)

**Author's Note:**

> I would've put this at the beginning, but I thought that little message was more important. Yes I know Jack should've been Jack, but I thought it would fit better with the actual plot if he was Rose.


End file.
